Casefile Arkham: Her Blood Runs Cold
Josh Finney, writer
Patrick McEvoy, artist
Kat Rocha, editor
01Publishing
paperback $19.99
ebook $7.99

I really liked the first volume of Casefile Arkham. I like this second volume even better. But before I get into the reasons why, I need to remember my manners and thank Kat Rocha for sending me the review copy. I had intended to post this review early last week, but last week sucked rocks.  And not just because of things you saw on the news.

But I digress. Let’s focus on the story at hand.

After a brief prologue, Her Blood Runs Cold opens with PI Hank Flynn getting a visit from an old friend. An old friend who has recently been released from Arkham Sanitarium and is trying to kill him. Hank has to shoot him in self-defense. His dying word? “Dagon.”

That’s when his troubles begin. The dead man, Edward Derby, is the scandal ridden scion of a wealthy and powerful family. In addition to a scandalous history, Derby leaves behind a widow named Asenath who puts the fatale in femme fatale. Crucified in the press and hounded as a suspect by the cops, Flynn tries to clear his name. This doesn’t go over well with the local mob boss, Big Eddie Sturgeon, who wants him to drop the case. The case will grow to involve power struggles in Innsmouth and a manuscript. Seems Derby wrote weird tales under a pen name, and his last work has gone missing.

This case is more complex than the one in Nightmare on the Canvas.  The first installment suffered from what all first episodes of a series have to do, namely introduce the characters and establish their relationships as well as the tone of the series.

Here the characters are established. Not that you need to read the first volume in the series. This story stands alone, but it has greater depth if you’re familiar with what came previously.

The art, which was good in Nightmare on the Canvas, is better here.  McEvoy,s black and white illustrations set a perfect mood, blending noir with Lovecraftian horror seamlessly. I got the impression that he was more relaxed and confident in his drawing, more consistent in the details and his portrayal of the characters. The story here was more complex than the previous one, and the art followed suit. McEvoy seems to be settling into a groove. I’m looking forward to what he’s going to do in the next installment. I’ve provided a few samples of the art, a page from the story and a pinup of Asenath.

I’m sure there’s going to be a next installment. Her Blood Runs Cold is clearly part of a larger story arc. There are major players who have yet to step onto the stage. Flynn is still haunted by flashbacks of his experience in the Pacific. We’ve also gotten some of Glynda’s backstory. There’s definitely more to be told there.

Casefile Arkham: Her Blood Runs Cold won’t be for everybody. It’s a horror story, and some of the images and content (such as human sacrifice) might be disturbing. But if you can’t resist an occult detective, you’ll want to check this one out.